5 Alternatives to Xanthan gum and Guar gum in Gluten-Free Baking

Those who have tried and failed know all too well the challenge gluten-free baking presents. Even the most seasoned gluten free baker sometimes experiences cupcakes having the hardness and dryness of a biscuit and breads that are flat and dry. Baking without gluten greatly affects the texture and structure of the baked goods which increases the need for alternatives to be found.

Just as the name implies, it helps ingredients stick together, hence the term ‘binding agent’. And the lack of a binding agent not only affects the appearance of your baked goods, but it can affect the taste too.

Popular alternatives to gluten as a binding agent exist in the form of Xanthan gum and Guar gum. While widely used, like gluten, some people may experience problems with these too. The good news is that many alternatives DO exist and most of them work just as well, giving your gluten-free baking the texture you desire.

Psyllium Fiber

Psyllium fiber is usually found in most health stores as a dietary fiber supplement. It’s popular among bodybuilders and athletes as it helps maintain their digestive health while actively helping to reduce cholesterol. It may come as a bit of a surprise that psyllium fiber has been shown to be a great binding agent which improves the baking quality of bread.

A study conducted in Kuwait proved just that. The scientists had started the research with a totally unrelated agenda – they wanted to increase the fiber content in bread. In their experiments, one of the ingredients they added in their blend of flour was 5% psyllium fiber. The results were completely unexpected and in many ways, serendipitous from a baking perspective. Not only did the bread rise a little higher, it also retained more moisture and had more volume overall.

That’s not all. An additional study was performed at the University of Milan and Michigan State University. This particular study sought to improve the structure of gluten-free dough. Upon completion of the study, the researchers had this to say about psyllium fiber:

“Psyllium fibre generally enhanced the physical properties of the doughs, due to the film-like structure that it was able to form, and the most complex among the experimental formulations looked promising in terms of final bread technological and nutritional quality even when compared to two different commercial GF mixtures,”

The use of chia seeds in baking is quite common. They are usually sprinkled into flour mixes to add a nutritional boost to cakes and cookies. From a nutritional perspective, chia seeds are as close to a ‘superfood’ as you can get. They are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (more than 2.5 times that of flaxseed), protein and fiber just to mention a few. On top of all that, they can be used as a binding agent too.

This is because they are very high in soluble fiber and they are also hydrophilic (water absorbing). They can absorb up to 12 times their own weight in water, forming a gel like substance which locks in moisture. In baking, this would improve the overall structure of breads, pastries and cakes as they wouldn’t turn out dry or crumbly due to lack of moisture.

While they are very small and unlike other seeds, have no real ‘shell’, their texture may not be desirable in some recipes. Chia seeds can also be ground and added to flour blends although it is not required for their ‘binding’ to take effect.

It is also worth noting that they have a very mild, nutty flavor which generally does not alter the overall taste of the food items they are added to.

Flax seeds are far more ubiquitous than their chia counterparts. We tend to associate them with health supplements so likewise, most people will be familiar with their popular derivative – flax seed oil. In gluten-free baking, ground flaxseeds do a great job of binding ingredients together and mimicking that desirable ‘gluten effect’ by adding moisture and softness to your baking.

Flax seeds tend to be rather large in comparison to chia seeds and they also have an outer shell. As a result, adding them in their natural form to a gluten-free flour blend will produce a small to negligible binding effect. They actually have to be ground for the binding effect to take place. The preparation involves adding ground flax to boiling water in order to form a thick paste which can then be mixed with gluten-free flour.

Nutritionally, ground flax is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (though not as high as chia seeds), iron, fiber and zinc – just to name a few.

Gelatin frequently appears on the ingredients list of some popular sweet snacks such as wine gums and jelly babies. It’s the gelatin which gives them their sticky, moist-on-the-inside texture. When mixed with water, it forms a gel-like substance which can be used in baking to make doughs stretchy and to retain moisture in baked food.

The only drawback is that gelatin is derived from animals and is therefore not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. Interestingly, it also comes in various flavors, however, for breads, it is best to use the unflavored variety.

Agar agar is a vegan alternative to gelatin. It is derived from seaweed and is a common food additive in food processing plants. Much like gelatin, agar agar can be found in a flavorless variety and it acts as a thickener, stabilizer, texturizer, forming a gel-like substance when mixed with water.

In gluten-free baking, this would result in a stretchier dough, chewier breads and (more) moist cakes. That said, it’s a good idea to exercise caution when using agar agar as using too much can result in excess moisture being retained, making your bread or cakes soggy.

Xanthan and guar gum may be the heavy hitters when it comes to binding agents for gluten free bakers, but they aren’t the only game in town! What’s more, these solutions promise to deliver results which are just as tasty as using xanthan gum or guar gum in your breads, rolls, muffins, cakes and pretty much anything else you’d like to substitute it for.

My personal favorite? Flax seed. It seems to play well with most of my gluten free bread recipes. 🙂

About the author

Gluten free living doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to light and fluffy breads and rolls. My gluten free bread recipes, tips and techniques will result in delicious, mouthwatering baked goods every time!

20 Comments

maddalena

Chrissy Lane

In most recipes, you would use the same proportion of flax seed as xanthan gum. It’s a one-for-one substitution. So 1 tsp. of xanthan gum would mean 1 tsp. of flax seeds (and this would mean the golden flax seeds).

Chrissy Lane

Kendall

Thanks for posting this, I’ve recently had to start gluten free for my son and I and haven’t wanted to use xantham gum or any corn product or corn by-product and this has help me greatly in helping find alternatives in my baking. And usually have flax seed and chia seed on hand for my family and our animals. Time to get plenty more and whip out recipes or find new ones that we love.

Chrissy Lane

Hi…VERY interesting article. I grow vanilla beans and want to make some Vanilla Paste with some of my cured beans. Most recipes want you to add xanthan gum as a thickener. I believe what I need is a consistency almost like honey…maybe a tad thicker but not firm like a jello for sure. I am not liking what I read about the xanthan gum and I am curious to know which of the above listed suggestions would give me this consistency even after being cooled and decanted into small glass jars. I could not have “seeds” or small ground particles in the Vanilla Paste either. It needs to have a clarity to it! Can you help me to determine which is best to maintain the integrity of the paste? Thanks, and thanks again for this great article!

C.J. Brady

Ogundeji Elizabeth

Thanks for this forum. I have been trying to get this Xanthan gum, I need it for my project but unable to get. I don’t know may be it has another general name because I thought I would get it from those selling pharmaceutic chemicals but they don’t know it. Thanks.